Worth it All
by Pandora151
Summary: Groose never really understood the true importance and power of love and friendship until the day of the fateful battle against Demise. And it would change him forever. One-shot, Skyward Sword. ZeLink, some GroosexZelda if you squint.


**Author's Note: Hello! So I spent about two days working on this. Pretty much came out of nowhere, I was just thinking a little bit about the ending of Skyward Sword because it was just so amazingly perfect :) I feel like these are a few scenes missing from the game itself, but I still loved the way it was done. Let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.**

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Groose watched Zelda intently as she muttered in her unconsciousness. The former Goddess was troubled, but everyone was nervous, even Impa. They sat in the Sealed Temple, waiting anxiously for the fated battle to end. A few weeks ago, Groose would have found it ridiculous that scrawny little Link, of all people, can hold a sword and actually fight. But now, it seemed so natural that Link would sacrifice so much.

Zelda frowned again, and muttered some quiet words under her breath. Groose looked up at Impa, who nodded encouragingly back. He looked towards the door for what felt like the hundredth time, hoping to hear it creak open and see Link slip quietly through. But nothing. He hated that he could practically feel Zelda's soul slowly leaving her body and the darkness completely taking over; its stench suffocating anyone nearby. "Please wake up," Groose whispered to Zelda, "I don't know what I would do without you."

No response. Nothing.

Groose quickly rubbed at his eyes to stop the tears from falling. There was no way he could cry right now. He was the only man in the group, and he had to be strong. But, nothing was getting better and Groose could feel everything in his life simply getting worse and going wrong. He tried not to think about what would happen if Demise defeated Link and took Zelda's soul. Everything he knew, including Skyloft and Loftwings and Cawlin and Stritch and even Karane, Pipit, Fledge, and everyone else...they would all be gone. There would be no light in the world; no signs of happiness or hope. Only the darkness that is Demise.

After a few moments, the darkness that was seeping through the air suddenly flashed and receded; the world seemed to light up and swell with life. Zelda began to stir, and then Impa whispered, "The hero succeeded." Groose quickly looked towards the door again, but the door did not budge.

"Groose?"

He looked down, and Zelda stared sleepily back at him, not completely comprehending what just happened. After a few seconds, her eyes widened and she spoke more frantically. "Groose, where is he?" She began to sit up and struggled to her feet, still not completely awake. "Where's Link?" He shook his head slowly in response, and her eyes widened even more, if possible, and filled with tears. "No," she whispered.

Groose thought he was not someone who expressed that much emotion, but now he felt his heart pounding in his chest so quickly and it _hurt_. Seeing Zelda's broken expression made him speechless, and he could see the tears forming in Impa's eyes also. "He's not dead," Zelda continued. "If he was, I would know." The tears were rolling down her cheeks, but she kept talking. "Don't you understand? I would feel it right _here_." She pointed to her heart, trembling. "He's not dead." After a moment's pause, she turned and ran towards the door.

"Zelda," Groose finally responded, "let me come with you."

The two Skyloftians left the temple. Zelda ran pretty quickly for someone who almost lost her soul mere minutes ago. Neither of them had a sailcloth, so they had to spiral around Hylia's Realm until they reached the bottom. As Zelda reached the bottom, she gasped and ran towards the center.

Link lay in the center, unconscious. He held the Master Sword in his right hand tightly, and his face was scrunched tight in pain. From a few feet away, Groose could tell that the battle must have been rough. Link's left leg was twisted in an odd angle and there was a nasty cut on his chest that was seeping blood. Groose looked towards Zelda, who was trying to wake the hero up.

"Link," she sobbed finally, when he did not respond. Her head fell onto his chest, and she continued crying, her tears mixing with Link's blood. "Wake up," she whispered. "You can't leave me alone like this!" She started crying harder, but Link did not stir. From Groose's distance, it looked like he was not even breathing.

Groose did not realize he was crying until he felt a tear drop down onto his shirt. He looked incredulously at the stain for a few moments, and then let himself cry. It felt almost _wrong_ to not cry at this moment. He looked away, towards the temple. Impa was far off in the distance, circling around the spirals towards the bottom. As he watched her, he heard a quiet gasp.

In a moment, Groose towards Link and Zelda, who was still sobbing into Link's chest. The hero was still unconscious, but Groose saw him shudder violently and groan. Zelda literally jumped off onto her feet, her face red from tears. "Zelda," Link breathed. His eyes were still closed, and he seemed to struggle to breathe properly.

"We must get him to the temple." Impa stood behind Groose, her eyes sparkling with tears. "Quickly."

It took a few minutes, with the help of Impa's magic, to carry the hero to the temple. Groose had to carry Link carefully; every jostling movement seemed to elicit a hoarse cry from the semi-conscious hero. Groose winced at every cry, feeling his heart break a tiny bit more the each time Link opened his mouth.

They reached the temple finally, and Groose laid Link down on the hard floor. An instant later, Link finally opened his eyes and looked directly at Zelda. His eyes, fraught with a terrible pain and anguish, filled with tears. "Zelda," he breathed.

If possible, Zelda began to cry even more. No one in the room at that moment was not crying, but Groose began to wipe his tears slowly, watching the scene unfold. "Link, I'm so sorry. This is my fault and I don't know what will happen," she sobbed. Link's face twisted momentarily and then he attempted to sit up and he groaned.

"Zelda, don't blame yourself." Link smiled lightly at her. "I did this for you, not for Hylia or to save the world, but because of you. If I had to do it again, I would do it in an instant." By the time he finished speaking, Impa brought some bandages and pillows. "And I'll be fine. I've been through worse than this." Groose smiled at the hero's renewed optimism, and suddenly the light seemed to shine even brighter than before. The tight pain seemed to recede slightly from Link's face, and they all continued smiling.

It was well worth it, after all.

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**Thanks for reading! Please review and let me know what you think :) **

**~Pandora**


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